Five Ways Sora Naegino Was Almost Kissed
by Lanerose
Summary: And one [well, three] ways she was. For Lithele


**Five Ways Sora Naegino Was Almost Kissed**

**_(And One – Well, Three - Ways She Was)_**

_For Lithele_

**1. On Stage**

Leon watched Sora pull the ribbon taut around her body, shifting in mid-air to gain height before swinging in time to the music. She built momentum, slow at first and then faster, faster – until she released her firm grasp and flew. Sora twirled elegantly through the air, the ribbon unwinding behind her. Leon locked his knees around the bar and dropped his hands. She caught them amidst the gasps of the crowd as the last of the ribbon fell away. With the ease won by long practice, Leon flipped Sora so that she could stand on the trapeze bar and rose to stand beside her.

The crowd went wild as his hands wrapped around her back. Leon could hear their cheers, could feel his pulse pounding in his ears as he stared down into her bright eyes. She was his princess, the one for whom he would sacrifice anything. The princess rested her hands against his chest, staring wide-eyed up at him. Leon started to lower his head, to bring her lips closer to his…

Logic kicked back in, and Leon could have kicked himself. He pressed Sora's head to his chest, resting his own chin atop the crown of her head as he reminded himself firmly that he was not a prince, she was not a princess, and whatever feelings his character had, they had nothing to do with his own feelings.

**  
2. Compliments**

"Sora!" Yuri exclaimed. The acrobat paused in her trek back from the dressing room back to the dorms, turning to see the blond's smiling face. He approached her quickly, placing his hands on his shoulders and smiling down at her. Sora stared into his deep blue eyes and felt a flush rising steadily across her face.

"Um, Yuri, how are you tonight? Did you enjoy the performance? The audience seemed to, I could hear them from the trapeze towards the end and they seemed really excited, but then I know they aren't as sensitive as you are to how the performance should be going and gee, umm…" She said, taking a tiny step backward. His arms merely extended to their full length, rather than releasing her.

"You were wonderful, Sora!" Yuri replied, smiling down at her. "So magnificent that I had to come and tell you."

He leaned towards her then, bridging the gap between their faces.

"Yuri, I, that is, umm-" Sora stammered as he gets steadily closer, her face growing ever redder. Yuri quickly kissed both her cheeks and drew back, smiling at her as his hands dropped. Sora's hand came to rest on the back of her head as she smiled at him. "Thanks?"

"You're welcome." He smiled one last time, and left.

3. Meddling Friends

"Come on, Ken, you know that you want to!" Mia said as she pulled on Ken's left arm. Across from her, Anna had a firm grip on Ken's right shoulder, and was shoving him forward. "Just think about it! Your star-crossed love affair can finally reach its dramatic conclusion!"

"I… I…" Ken stammered, shaking his head as he glanced in horror from one to the other. "What about what Sora wants? She doesn't even know that I… that I…"

"You went to Japan to see her!" Sarah interjected from behind them, waving banners that read 'Go Ken!' in large letters. "Wouldn't she have figured it out from that?"

Ken paused and sighed, before being forced to stumble forward once again by Anna and Mia's actions.

"Ah, poor Ken! Frustrated always by love!" Anna struck a dramatic pose, a hand over her eyes. "It was never meant to be, if she really has yet to realize your true feelings. Clearly, what you need to do is give up this dream, and join in our unrivaled comedy –"

"No." Ken, Mia, and Sarah said flatly. The group reached the door to Sora's dressing room. Mia grabbed the doorknob and flung the door open as Anna shoved Ken forwards.

Ken stumbled forward two steps… and collided with Sora.

The trapeze artist looked stunningly beautiful in her faerie costume. Her hair framed her face, contrasting pleasantly with her pale skin. Shimmering white eye shadow drew Ken's attention to her gorgeous brown eyes even as the glitter dust on her face caught the light and made her whole face sparkle.

"Ken…?" Sora inquired after he spent a moment pressed softly against her, staring down at her. He jumped back, blushing furiously and gestured her forward.

"Just wanted to see if you were ready to go on. Curtain's in five." He mumbled quickly, face down. Sora looked at him for a moment and shrugged.

"Thanks, Ken." She said, heading off to her place.

After Sora had disappeared from sight, the three women accompanying Ken turned to him as one and sighed.

"Coward."

4. Accidents Happen

"Thank you for coming early to work on this with me, Leon," Sora said, smiling down at the silver-haired man from her position on the balance beam. She stood, poised on the tips of her right toes, her left leg extended out behind her. Her right arm extended to her side. She stared at the fingers of her left hand, which was raised straight overhead.

"Hn."

He moved a few steps closer to the beam, wishing idly as he did so that someone else had shown up early this morning. Being only one person, he could only spot one side. She'd break her skull in doing this, sooner or later.

Sora sank slowly, bending from the knee as she lowered herself closer to the beam without altering any of the lines in her body. Her muscles coiled, tightening as she went. She paused halfway down and took a deep breath.

"HAH!" She grunted as she channeled the tension, pushing her toes harshly against the beam. Sora flew into the air, her right arm swinging forward and up. When her arms were of the same height, her left arm joined the motion. Together, her arms flew over her head. Sora arched her back until she could grab her left foot. She held it for a split second at the apex of her jump before releasing it, swinging the leg forward.

Sora fell back towards the beam in what should have been a simple back tuck. Should have been. It wasn't high enough. She hadn't gotten high enough. No, no the beam – the beam was too close, she didn't have time, she couldn't –

"Aah!" Sora gasped as hands snagged her from the air, pulling her against another body. Her still extended legs brushed lightly against the beam as the hands dragged her to the other side of the beam, guiding her fall. She landed with a soft "oomph!" and suddenly, Leon's face was inches from her own, his lips practically brushing her own.

Leon stared into her cinnamon eyes, trying to get the racing of his heart under control. Her eyes were wide, her pupils dilated. He felt more than saw her lips part ever so slightly. She wasn't hurt – oh god, she wasn't hurt. He took a breath slowly, slower, still not –

"Sora…" He said softly, his voice trembling. Her head hadn't – she wasn't – she would be…

"Leon…" Sora replied, staring down at him for a long moment. "Ah! Sorry!"

She drew back quickly, pulling her own body off of his as she rolled to the side. Sora sat up quickly, her pulse returning to normal. A dull ache spread up her left leg, and she pulled it quickly to her chest so that she could examine her shin.

"Ow…" she mumbled, watching a sharp discoloration appear. Arms were under her knee and behind her back, and suddenly she was in the air again, this time resting snugly against someone. She looked up at Leon, eyes wide. "Leon…?"

"It needs to be looked at," he said brusquely, already heading for the door. Sora flushed, but leaned compliantly against his chest as he carried her to the medic.

5. Just An Act

"I have to do WHAT?!" Sora's shriek could be heard all throughout the Kaleido Stage complex. She stared wide-eyed up at the blond man, who had the nerve to laugh at her. He chuckled, shoulders shaking as she watched, fists curling up in frustration. "Yuri, I've never – that is, I couldn't – I don't-"

"What, Sora?" Yuri smiled as he leaned towards her, sending Sora jumping back towards the wall. "It's Sleeping Beauty. How are you ever going to wake up if the prince doesn't kiss you?"

"But it's – that is, I – I mean –" She flailed incoherently at the man, who stepped closer again. Sora's back was flush against the wall, a piece of molding digging into it. Yuri rested an arm on the wall over her head, smiling down at her. He cupped her head lightly with his other hand, tilting her face towards his.

"Relax, Sora," he said softly. "I'll teach you."

"Yuri…" She watched him come slowly closer, closer to her. Sora tried to will herself to move, to shove him, to do something, anything - !

She closed her eyes.

His thumb ghosted lightly onto her lips. She could sense his, just beyond it, waited for him to move it and finish. Instead he drew back. Her eyes opened, and he was smiling at her again. The corners of Yuri's eyes crinkled slightly, but his smile stayed gentle.

"See? Stage kisses. Not so bad, are they?" He winked at her, and turned to leave.

Sora counted herself lucky that he was out the door before she sank nervelessly to the ground.

6. To Those Who Wait

Sora didn't know how long she sat on the floor of the dressing room, propped up against the wall with her knees raised protectively in front of her. She hadn't been expecting Yuri to – and of course, he had a point – and then there was the whole thing with –

"Sora!" Someone was saying insistently. Hey, she was rocking back and forth, too, and… there was a hand on her shoulder… and… she looked up.

"Ken…?" She blinked once, twice. He stopped shaking her as she shook her head, pulling herself together.

"Are you all right, Sora?" Ken asked, sinking to sit beside her on the floor. He stared at her from behind the frames of his glasses, his hand a consistent, comforting weight upon her shoulder. She smiled.

"Don't worry, Ken. I'll be fine." The lines around Ken's mouth drew tighter at that, and she took a breath to try again. "It's nothing, really, it's just – Yuri was teaching me how to stage kiss, and he surprised me, because I didn't realize that a stage kiss wasn't like a real kiss – I mean, I knew it wasn't because the feelings aren't the same and you know that all made sense and – but I didn't realize it wasn't the same, and I didn't want my first kiss to be faked for stage and - heh heh, sorry, I'm being weird again, aren't I?"

Sora sank back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling to avoid the concern she knew would be on Ken's face.

"Sora," he said, and she couldn't resist the command in his voice that called to her. She looked right at him, and fell straight into his eyes. "Your first kiss should mean something, right?"

"Right." She agreed with a nod, smiling in relief. Ken understood, he always did. He opened his mouth as though he was about to say something, and then he shook his head. Ken leaned closer to her, slowly. Sora… she noticed his hands were still on the ground, and realized what he was doing. He came towards her carefully, without rushing, watching her all the way, but she found she didn't want to draw away from him. Instead, Sora leaned towards him, tilting her face ever so slightly as he mirrored the action, until –

Oh.

So that was what kissing was all about.

"Ken…" she whispered when he drew back from her again. He looked almost afraid, his eyes wide and apologies already forming on his lips. She smiled as she reached a hand up to brush along the side of his face as Yuri had done to her, tilting his head once more before brushing her own lips deliberately against hers.

"Sora…" He whispered when she drew back, and somehow, that one word said everything that needed to be said. She let her hand fall to their laps, laced her fingers through his, and smiled.

"Thank you, Ken."

He smiled back at her.

"You're welcome."

And then he kissed her again.


End file.
